§ 29. Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many cottages in the South Dorset constituency have no piped water supply.
§ Mr. MacCollAbout 850. I am informed that many of them are likely to be connected to the mains within a year.
§ Mr. KingIs the hon. Gentleman aware that there is in the countryside deep feeling on this matter; that of the many millions of £s the Government are spending on many peculiar projects they should devote the first one or two to seeing that every Englishman has an inalienable right to turn on a tap?
§ Mr. MacCollI hope that the hon. Gentleman will not think that I am labouring the obvious when I say that there has not been such an inalienable right for many years. It is not fair to blame us if, in the first month of our 1080 Administration, we have not succeeded in giving every rural household an individual water supply.